Enkephalinase or, more specifically, neutral endopeptidase-24.11, is a mammalian ectoenzyme which is involved in the metabolic degradation of certain circulating regulatory peptides. This enzyme, which is a Zn.sup.+2 -metallopeptidase, exerts its effect by cleaving the extracellular peptides at the amino group of hydrophobic residues and thus inactivates the peptides as regulatory messengers.
Enkephalinase is involved in the metabolic degradation of a variety of circulating regulatory peptides including endorphins, such as .beta.-endorphin and the enkephalins, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), and other circulating regulatory peptides.
Endorphins are naturally-occurring polypeptides which bind to opiate receptors in various areas of the brain and thereby provide an analgesic effect by raising the pain threshold. Endorphins occur in various forms including .alpha.-endorphin, .beta.-endorphin, .gamma.-endorphin as well as the enkephalins. The enkephalins, i.e., Met-enkephalin and Leu-enkephalin, are pentapeptides which occur in nerve endings of brain tissue, spinal cord and the gastrointestinal tract. Like the other endorphins, the enkephalins provide an analgesic effect by binding to the opiate receptors in the brain. By inhibiting enkephalinase, the metabolic degradation of the naturally-occurring endorphins and enkephalins are inhibited, thereby providing a potent endorphin or enkephalin-mediated analgesic effect. Inhibition of enkephalinase would therefore be useful in a patient suffering from acute or chronic pain. Inhibition of enkephalinase would also be useful in providing an antidepressant effect and in providing a reduction in severity of withdrawal symptoms associated with termination of opiate or morphine administration. In addition, inhibition of enkephalinase would be useful in providing an antidiarrheal effect in a patient suffering therefrom.
ANP refers to a family of naturally-occurring peptides which are involved in the homeostatic regulation of blood pressure, as well as sodium and water levels. ANP's have been found to vary in length from about 21 to about 126 amino acids with a common structural feature being one or more disulfide-looped sequences of 17 amino acids with various amino- and carboxy-terminal sequences attached to the cystine moiety. ANP have been found to bind to specific binding sites in various tissues including kidney, adrenal, aorta, and vascular smooth muscle with affinities ranging from about 50 pico-molar (pM) to about 500 nanomolar (nM) [Needleman, Hypertension 7, 469 (1985)]. In addition, it is believed that ANP binds to specific receptors in the brain and possibly serves as a neuromodulator as well as a conventional peripheral hormone.
The biological properties of ANP involve potent diuretic/natriuretic and vasodilatory/hypotensive effects as well as an inhibitory effect on renin and aldosterone secretion [deBold, Science, 230, 767 (1985)]. By inhibiting enkephalinase, the metabolic degradation of the naturally-occurring ANP are inhibited, thereby providing a potent ANP-mediated diuretic, natriuretic, hypotensive, hypoaldosteronemic effects. Inhibition of enkephalinase would therefore be useful in a patient suffering from disease states characterized by abnormalities in fluid, electrolyte, blood pressure, intraocular pressure, renin, or aldosterone homeostasis, such as, but not limited to, hypertension, renal diseases, hyperaldosteronemia, cardiac hypertrophy, glaucoma and congestive heart failure.
By inhibiting enkephalinase, a cognition enhancing effect is also provided in patients suffering from disease states such as Alzheimer's Disease.